


No Place Like

by Isis



Category: Old Kingdom - Garth Nix
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Supernatural Elements, Trick or Treat: Chocolate Box, Trick or Treat: Treat, Unexpected Consequences of Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 09:51:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12430260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isis/pseuds/Isis
Summary: After their wedding in Belisaere, Nick and Lirael travel to Nick's family home in Ancelstierre.  Or they try to, anyway.





	No Place Like

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Merit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merit/gifts).



It was hard, very hard, for Lirael to watch Nick disappear into the Wall's northern gate with Captain Anlow and her men. It was not just the sight of the golden light of Charter marks blossoming on the stones and raining down on him, surrounding him with a glowing halo, though that was discomfiting as well. It was the knowledge that if anything bad happened to him, she would not be able to help. As the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, Lirael was keenly sensitive to her special responsibilities, and she did not like to feel helpless.

And of course, now that she was Nick's wife, if anything _did_ happen, she wanted to be with him.

But the last time they had passed through the gate – northbound, that time, with Nick unconscious on a litter carried by a team of Crossing Point Scouts – Lirael's bells had tried to sound in their bandoleer, woken by the potent combination of the Free Magic inside Nick and the Charter Magic of the Wall, and that was not something any of them wanted to risk again. And so she stood by the gate and counted slowly to forty before following.

At least it had seemed to her that the flow of Charter marks had been less, this time. Maybe it had been so strong then because of the Hrule, and Nick's blood loss. But the glow of the marks for light that danced on the stones of the passage did not seem like anything out of the ordinary, and her bells lay quiescent as she walked towards Ancelstierre.

Nick, Anlow, and the guards were waiting a safe distance away, and she hurried toward them. Immediately Nick swept her into an embrace and kissed her, just a quick press of lips, and despite her embarrassment she felt a deep relief from his touch.

"You see? Right as rain," he said, when he'd released her.

She smiled and shook her head slightly. Another of those strange Ancelstierran sayings, no doubt. "And no trouble with the bells."

"There was definitely an unusual cloud of marks around him, but it was not nearly as strong as last time," said Anlow. "But I think it was wise to take the precaution. Oh, and congratulations to you both."

"Thank you," said Nick, beaming. Lirael nodded her thanks as well, though she was sure her cheeks were flaming. "Mother's putting on a party at the family home, since we couldn't work out logistics for getting the family and friends to Belisaere."

Lirael was happy enough that she hadn't had to deal with Nick's family for the wedding, on top of everything else. Their original plans to marry at the Glacier had been firmly put aside by Princess Ellimere, who declared that as the queen's sister, not to mention the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, Lirael must marry with all the official trappings of a member of the royal family. It had been nice to get away from Kirrith, who had become more insufferable than usual, claiming that as Lirael's aunt it was up to her to arrange things the way she wanted, which was almost always not the way that Lirael and Nick had hoped to do things. But a royal wedding brought with it all sorts of other headaches, and frankly, she was happy it was all over. All over, that is, except for the party at Amberne, which she could not very well decline.

She was not looking forward to being in Ancelstierre, away from the Charter. It gave her comfort to feel its presence wherever she went in the Old Kingdom, and, as a practical matter, it gave its power to the golden hand that Sameth had made for her. She knew she'd feel awkward among the glittering ladies and powerful politicians that made up Nicholas Sayre's family circle, and it would be made even worse by the dullness of her inert hand. She flexed it now, feeling it respond to the Charter; they were still close enough to the Wall that its movement did not yet feel sluggish.

"Come on," said Anlow. "Your father's driver is probably already here, and you've got a long drive ahead of you." 

They followed the captain to the southern outpost, where indeed an automobile awaited. The driver was an amiable man who introduced himself as Hendry; he opened the rear door and ushered them both in, then started the motor and set off down the road. Lirael couldn't help but remember the last time she'd ridden in one of these noisy Ancelstierran vehicles, that frantic night on the Perimeter, getting what sleep she could in the back as they raced to try to stop Hedge, and...and to save Nick….

This was a much calmer ride, in a more comfortable seat, and far less bouncy and noisy. She gazed out the window, watching the countryside go by, which she found rather relaxing. A good thing, she supposed, for it would take them most of the day to reach Amberne, the Sayre family home. The driver wasn't talkative, which was also a good thing. Nick was a warm presence next to her, and every time he reached across her to point something out, or laid his hand briefly on her leg or her own hand, she found herself smiling. The words for what they were now were strange to her – it would take a long time to get used to thinking of herself as a wife, or of Nick as her husband – but actually being married to each other seemed like the most simple, natural, inevitable thing.

She had fallen asleep, and been dreaming of Mogget whining for fish, when she woke suddenly and realised that the whine was not only in her dream. The motor, which had been rumbling steadily like a distant thunderstorm, had taken on an unpleasant note, and there was a slight odour of Free Magic in the air. She opened her eyes as the vehicle slowed to a stop.

"Pardon, Mr Sayre," said Hendry, "but we're burning oil. Fortunately I've got extra in the back."

"Do you need help?"

The driver shook his head. "Just stay in the car with your missus, it'll just take a moment."

Lirael was fully awake now, and on the edge of panic. She remembered Sabriel telling her about the attempt on their lives when she and Touchstone were in Corvere. She turned her head to whisper into Nick's ear. "This might be a trap."

To her surprise, he laughed. "No, it's just the car acting up. Hendry has been with Father for ages. Don't worry."

"I smell Free Magic."

"You smell burning oil. It's all right."

Lirael was not so sure about that, especially since when Hendry opened the lid at the front of the car to access the propulsion system, it blocked her view of whatever he was doing. She looked nervously at Nick, wondering if she ought to repeat her concerns. But Hendry was true to his word; it was only a couple of minutes before he closed the lid again and got back into the car, and this time when he started it up it sounded as it had before. The smell dissipated as they got underway, and Lirael relaxed. 

But it wasn't twenty minutes later before the motor's sound shifted again to something ominously irregular, and again Hendry pulled over to the side of the road. "Sorry about this," he said, shaking his head as he got out of the car. "The boys must have been slacking on maintenance."

"Let me take a look," said Nick. He slid across the seat and opened the door, and went to join Hendry at the front of the vehicle. 

The driver had lifted the lid again, and not being able to see Nick made Lirael even more uneasy than she had been. Her hand went to her bells, even though she knew they wouldn't be of use against any threat they faced here in Ancelstierre. She wished Raminah was at her side and not packed in her luggage. Maybe she should retrieve her sword, she thought...and then her eyes fell on the place next to her, where Nick had been sitting. For one long moment she just stared; then she laughed, and climbed out of the car.

"Sorry about this," Nick told her as she joined them. "The crankcase is leaking oil badly, some of the wires have frayed, and at least two of the springs have broken. Hendry thinks the wheel bearings are going out, too. I'm not sure we can fix it here."

The driver nodded. "We just passed through a town that ought to have telephone service. I can walk back there and call Amberne, have another car sent out. It shouldn't be more than an hour's wait, as we're nearly there."

"Perhaps they should send out horses," Lirael suggested.

"Horses! Whatever for? We've plenty of motorcars. Hopefully the rest are in better repair."

She put her hand on Nick's arm. "Come look at this."

Hendry began to sputter as soon as he saw the split in the leather upholstery where the seam had parted, exposing the disintegrating stuffing inside. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr Sayre. I would have taken a different car if I'd known how bad shape this one was in."

"It's not your fault," said Lirael. "It's Nick's."

"I'm not _that_ heavy!" Nick protested. Then he noticed which hand she had used to guide him back to the rear of the car, and, seeing his gaze fall on it, she gave his arm a squeeze...with her golden fingers. "Oh," he said, with the surprised intonation of someone who has just figured something out. "It's like that place in the north, isn't it. The Empty Lands."

"Well, there's air to breathe here. But yes, that's it exactly. You're a source of Charter Magic."

"And things made on machines fall apart around Charter Magic. Not to mention the machines themselves. Good thing we didn't take an airplane!" He turned to Hendry. "You'd better ask to have a car sent out that's already in poor repair. Or one that'll be cheap to fix. Hopefully I won't do too much damage over just one more hour."

"Maybe if you have a...a long car?" Lirael spread her hands, trying to illustrate what she meant. "One that has a place for us to sit as far from the motor as possible?"

"Won't help with the drivetrain or the wheels, though," said Nick.

"Oh, you're right. You can tell I don't know much about these Ancelstierran vehicles!"

Hendry looked completely baffled. "Miss – I mean, ma'am – you're saying there's some Old Kingdom hocus that's doing this? Can't you make it stop?" Just then one of the buttons on his uniform popped off as the machine-made thread gave way.

She shook her head, suppressing a laugh. "I'm afraid it's completely due to Nick, and I can't do a thing about it."

"Better get to that village before you lose any more buttons," said Nick. As Hendry hurried off, he turned back to Lirael. "I'm sorry about this. I really didn't think that my – well, whatever it is that I've become – that it would make things difficult for us in Ancelstierre. I suppose I'll have to change clothes twice a day so that they don't fall apart at an inopportune time. And I'll arrange a fleet of motorcars to take it in turns bringing us back to the Wall when it's time to go home."

"I don't mind," she said, tucking her arm more firmly into his. "Actually, it's quite nice. You know that I didn't really want to come to Ancelstierre, because I don't like not being able to feel the Charter. But wherever you are, the Charter is, too."

"And wherever you are, that's where I'll be. Works rather nicely, don't you think?"

"Very much so," she said, and then she stopped talking, because Nick had gathered her in his arms and was kissing her. She let herself be pressed up against the warm side of the automobile as she enthusiastically kissed him back.

A few minutes later, the car's bumper fell off, but neither of them noticed.


End file.
